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White Wings Vol II. Founding Of The Provinces And Old-Time Shipping. Passenger Ships From 1840 To 1885

Fatherly Gaoler

Fatherly Gaoler.

Some most unconventional incidents happened in those old pioneering days, when people were thrown ashore in a strange land, cut adrift from all the old familiar landmarks, and found themselves confronted with situations that could never have arisen in the well-ordered round they had followed in their home town or village.

As the Dunedin people were Scots, and picked ones at that, we are not surprised to find that a Supreme Court judge with whichpage 90 they were saddled (said to have been appointed through a bit of political jobbery in the Old Country), found himself idle for two whole years owing to lack of cases. Of course, there were minor breaches of the peace, but they were trifling, and the gaol facilities were of the most quaint description. Mr. James Barr tells how Mr. Monson, the first gaoler, carried out his duties.

"Mr. Monson's establishment, and his mode of conducting it, have often been made the subject of joke," says the author, "but in reality he was a good and worthy man, making the most of circumstances, and of the ricketty shanty erected for holding the two or three male topers and female randies of the place, with occasionally some runaway sailors. Besides his own private apartments he had but two others, and altogether it would appear that they formed quite a family party. They went out by day to work, and every evening before retiring to rest were present at Mr. Monson's family worship. Saturday afternoons were given to the cultivation of a little vegetable garden, the reward for which super-added labour was beef and broth for dinner on Sunday. On Saturday evening they were regularly trooped off, Maori baskets in hand, to Ross and Kilgour's store, for the weekly quantum of 'provent;' and always with the injunction, 'Now, lads, see that you return in time; if you don't, mind, you'll be shut out.'"